Kandaghat

Kandaghat, was also the summer capital of the Princely State of Patiala, is a small town on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway No# 22.

History

Kandaghat came into existence by a quirk of history. Kandaghat shot into prominence when Late Raja Bhupinder Singh was forced to come to Kandaghat. The late Raja Bhupinder Singh was the ruler of Patiala State and when he was expelled from Shimla, he set up base in Kandaghat. Maharajah Bhupinder Singh built a palace in Kandaghat for his accommodation requirements. The Maharajah named the palace 'Chail View Palace'.

Maharajah Bhupinder Singh knew the value of education and informed expertise; after the construction of Chail View Palace he invited physicians, scholars and other learned people of Patiala with monetary incentives to settle in Kandaghat.

During the Indian pre-independence days, Kandaghat was named "Kohistan" District. The renaming of Kandaghat to Kohistan District was symptomatic of the Indian independence movement. The change of name clearly indicates the pro-independence stance of the then rulers of Kandaghat.

Kandaghat was the seat of the local Deputy Commissioner during the British Raj. Kandaghat was also the summer capital of the Princely State of Patiala. After Independence Kandaghat was called "Pepsu"

Accessibility

By Air:Jubbar Hatti is the nearest airport is about 80-km from Chail.
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By Rail: Nearest railhead is Kandaghat 29-km from Chail on narrow gauge line.

By Road:Chail is 29-km from Kandaghat, 61-km from Shimla via Kandaghat and 43-km via Kufri.

District
Solan
Best time to visit
October to May